Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

The Range Rover Evoque could be the ultimate compromise when it comes to premium SUV’s. It’s stylish, desirable, brilliant off-road and luxurious too.

Performance

The Range Rover Evoque comes with a choice of two diesel and one petrol engine which come with the option of a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic. The 2.0 diesel ED4 comes with either 150 or 180PS while the 2.0 Petrol Si4 produces 190PS. The more powerful diesel is probably the best engine option to go for as it offers more than enough punch in overtaking manoeuvres. While the petrol has the quickest acceleration from a standstill, you have to work it hard to get there and it’s not as economical as either of the diesel options.

Ride & Handling

Despite the Range Rover Evoque being an SUV, it feels quite similar to a car to drive. Overall the Evoque is quite composed, has sharp precise steering and handles itself well. For the best handing, you’re best opting for the SE Dynamic trim upwards to get the Adaptive Dynamics System that really keeps body roll in check. Whether you go for the two-wheel-drive or the four-wheel-drive option, every model gets the Land Rover Terrain Response System that enables you to set the car up to deal with rain, snow or muddy conditions.

Refinement

The Evoque is a comfortable car to drive and it gets Land Rovers MagneRide dampers as standard to improve the driving experience. There is a choice of five trim levels from Pure, SE, SE Dynamic, HSE and HSE Dynamic. We would steer clear of the Pure trim as it comes with the older and less efficient 2.2 diesel engines. Its suspension does an excellent job of soaking up everyday lumps and bumps and are great motorway cruisers, much like the larger more expensive Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

Quality & Reliability

The Evoque may be the entry level Range Rover in the range but it is far from a budget alternative. It is effectively a smaller package with all of the tech, finish and luxury you get from its larger siblings. The majority of the cabin looks and feels luxurious with extensive use of leather on the dashboard, door cards and seats, with much of the interior finished with expensive looking contrast metals and materials. It all feels well put together and solid to the touch and there is no doubting the level of quality throughout.

Safety & Security

The Evoque is a very safe small SUV scoring the full five stars in the Euro NCAP crash safety tests. Besides the numerous optional features that can be added to make the car even safer, the Evoque comes with a full host of airbags, electronic stability control and seat-belt tensioners as standard. You can spec additional features like road sign recognition and lane departure warnings too to name a few.

Space & Practicality

There is a choice of a three door ‘coupe’ or a full five door Evoque, so it is really up to you how much practicality you want from the Range Rover. The five door is 40mm higher to create more head and slightly more legroom in the rear. There is plenty of space for front seat passengers in both variants. Storage throughout the cabin is good too with large door pockets, a central cubby and a decent glovebox. Boot space is a hefty 575 litres proving it’s a real Range Rover in this regard. The rear seats fold flat too to create a total of 1445 litres in the cabin.